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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · dip · bat · temple · rule · field · object · mug

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. rule — a law
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — government
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — an aim
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com